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Deep crustal melt plumbing of Bárðarbunga volcano, Iceland

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Authors

Hudson, TS 
White, RS 
Brisbourne, A 
Greenfield, Timothy  ORCID logo  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4370-7298
Augustdottir, T 

Abstract

Understanding magmatic plumbing within the Earth’s crust is important for understanding volcanic systems and improving eruption forecasting. We discuss magma plumbing under Bárðarbunga volcano, Iceland, over a four-year period encompassing the largest Icelandic eruption in 230 years. Microseismicity extends through the usually ductile region of the Earth’s crust, from 7-22 km depth in a sub-vertical column. Moment tensor solutions for an example earthquake exhibits opening tensile crack behavior. This is consistent with the deep (> 7 km) seismicity being caused by the movement of melt in the normally aseismic crust. The seismically inferred melt path from the mantle source is offset laterally from the center of the Bárðarbunga caldera by ~12 km, rather than lying directly beneath it. It is likely that an aseismic melt feed also exists directly beneath the caldera and is aseismic due to elevated temperatures and pervasive partial melt under the caldera.

Description

Keywords

melt plumbing, volcano, earthquake, moment tensor solutions, nondouble-couple source mechanisms, fluid induced seismicity

Journal Title

Geophysical Research Letters

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0094-8276
1944-8007

Volume Title

44

Publisher

Wiley-Blackwell
Sponsorship
Natural Environment Research Council (NE/F011407/1)
Natural Environment Research Council (NE/H025006/1)
Natural Environment Research Council (NE/M017427/1)
European Commission (308377)
Funding was by research grants from the NERC and the European Community’s Seventh Framework Program grant 308377 (Project FUTUREVOLC), and a number of graduate studentships from the NERC.